Last updated on March 18th, 2019 at 06:45 am
Trying to stick to someone else’s workout and diet plan and failing miserably? Welcome to the club! Try these 3 steps and create a workout plan you can actually stick with!
One of the most important things that help me stay motivated to exercise every single day is having a workout plan that I enjoy.
I’ve never been able to follow someone else’s diet or exercise plan. In fact I am not even able to follow a recipe – I have too many ideas and too many things I want to try to be able to follow someone else’s directions.
So I like to make my own workout plan.
This gives me the opportunity to really enjoy myself and explore while doing something good for my physical and mental health.
Because let’s face it, if it’s someone else’s plan – would I love it? Will it challenge me? Will I not be wondering whether I can do something else today? Will it be everything I want it to be? Probably not a 100%.
But when I make my own workout plan, things just flow. I wake up excited and ready for my workout every day.
Well, in case you want to create a workout plan for yourself as well and achieve your fitness goals, here are three tips that help me.
3 Steps To Creating A Workout Plan You Can Stick With
I usually do my workout plan once a week for the next week and these are the steps.
Step 1. Decide how long and how often you want to work out
Some people like to work out for an hour every day, others three times a week, and then there are others who say once a week is enough.
I like to do 30 minutes every day with no real rest day. I can do 30 minutes in the morning and by doing this every day I can stick with the plan and simultaneously improve my immune system.
If I say I’ll exercise three times a week, on day three I always find an excuse to skip my workout.
If I say I will work out 1 hour every day? Yeah, I know I’m not gonna do it.
Be realistic about how much time you have, how much you can handle and how often you need to do something to really make it a habit.
30 minutes is enough to make me feel good, but not exhausted and doing it every day helps me keep the habit.
Step 2. Explore and take it as a learning experience
Plenty of FREE high-quality workouts online
Over the years I tried lots and lots and LOTS of workouts. There were many workouts I loved and many that I didn’t really like.
The ones I really enjoyed, I would always want to repeat.
As for the ones that I didn’t like? No regrets there, I tried something new. This is a win on its own, because I didn’t just sit around doing nothing, wondering how many calories this workout would burn and whether it would be worth doing it. Like Nike told me – I just did it.
Any workout is better than no workout. Don’t let those endless opportunities paralyze you. If something looks good to you – just try and promise yourself you won’t beat yourself up if you don’t like it.
You need to explore to find out what you really like. Pretty soon you’ll know what you like and what you rather not do.
I found I like dance workouts, pilates, barre and yoga, so I do more of these workouts. And I’m always happy when I find a new one on BeFiT or Youtube.
How this helps you create a workout plan
Whenever I find an exercise or a full workout I want to try – I just put it on my plan for the next week.
It’s very important to first find the workouts that you enjoy, so you can stick with exercising long-term. So if you have some workouts you enjoy, write them down and put them on your plan for the week. Then proceed to tip #3.
Step 3. Switch it up
Finally we’re coming to organizing the workouts you love into a workout plan.
Can I do 7 days of HIIT in a row? Can I do 100 squats every day? I probably can, but I will also want to jump off a bridge if I have to do it.
When you make a workout plan, it’s super important to listen to your body and be honest with yourself.
Are you gonna be able and want to do a hard workout every single day? Does it make sense to train your abs every single day? Or your legs? I don’t think so.
Solution: Don’t just wait until you feel it’s time to train your abs again, just switch things up.
Add some yoga, pilates, barre, or whatever you like. Don’t do the same thing over and over again.
I like to alternate each day between strength, cardio and yoga.
With strength I tone every part of my body on a different day – core, lower body and upper body (each has a day).
Cardio keeps me happy, I burn fat and improve my cardiovascular health – I do it 2-3 times a week.
Finally with yoga – I get to stretch, relax and just enjoy my “rest day” – I do this 1-2 times a week.
By changing things up you won’t get bored and you’ll actually be excited about what’s coming the next day!
Finally
Once you have decided on when you’re gonna do what, put it in a table, print it out and keep it somewhere where you can see it. I do on my nightstand, because I do my workouts in the morning. This way I wake up and know what I’m gonna do.
You might also like:
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8 Pilates workouts to tone everything
5 easy healthy breakfasts you need to try
5 morning habits to help you lose weight
Well, there you have it: how to make your own workout plan that you can stick with and that you actually enjoy!
I hope this guide makes the transition to a healthier lifestyle easier for you. If you enjoyed it, make sure to subscribe via email, so I can send you more updates, healthy recipes, health and fitness tips!
PS: And if you know someone who might find these tips helpful, share it with them!
